Perennial
by Captain Arbitrary
Summary: It's the anniversary of the day Aerith's life was taken from her. Although she may be gone, her memory will continue to live on in the hearts of those closest to her… forever. Aerith-centric; implied Clerith.


There will be several chapters, each dedicated to a certain character and the way they remember Aerith. The story itself takes place over the course of one day, in different parts of the world, at different times of the day.

This is also one year after FFVII, so it takes place prior to Advent Children.

I've been working on this for a long time. I truly hope you enjoy it as much as I've enjoyed writing it. :)

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, the setting or Final Fantasy.

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><p><strong>Chapter I: Tifa<strong>

Tifa bit her lip, reaching with one hand for the keys in her pocket while balancing a heavy vase of flowers with the other arm. _Where's Cloud when you need him?_

She silent swore as they fell to the ground, bending on weary knees in order to reach them—weary in the sense that she had walked quite a distance from the flower shop on the other side of town, wishing that she could have sent Cloud for these or at least taken his motorcycle.

Nobody was home right now either. Marlene was gone with her father for the day, while Denzel was out and about playing with the neighborhood kids.

She quietly turned the lock, pushing the door open with her knee and in a single fluid motion kicking it closed once more.

Tifa let out a breathy sigh as she placed the vase upon the counter and dropped her keys beside it. It was unusually quiet around the bar, something she couldn't say she was accustomed to, though the musty scent of liquor and cigarettes still hung in the air from the night before. Luckily, the lilies she brought home seemed to add a sweet fragrance to the air to counter the stench.

"Lilies..." She said to herself, as a thought suddenly occurred to her. "If I had known I was going to swing by the flower shop just for these, I might as well have picked them from the Church for free."

A slow smile began to spread itself, as she turned the vase to face her. Aerith would be pleased. And then it came to her, a memory of the very first day that Seventh Heaven opened in Edge.

_That day, Marlene had come home in the afternoon with a handpicked bouquet of flowers to christen their new home. They were a colorful assortment of wildflowers consisting of forget-me-nots and daisies, clovers and golden poppies, even dandelions, among many others. _

_Tifa thought they were beautiful and went to find a tall glass to put them in. Cloud hadn't moved from his spot at the bar as he nurtured a glass of whiskey, but his eyes followed Marlene as she ran past him. The little girl with a pink ribbon in her hair followed Tifa behind the counter, relaying in great detail her morning adventure. _

"…_The very first time I met the flower lady," Marlene had said that day, beaming as Tifa placed the makeshift vase on the counter. "She told me that the bar needed some flowers. They're really pretty, aren't they? We should bring some home every day from now on, okay Cloud?" The little girl had then turned her attention to the stoic swordsman, who gave her a short nod. Cloud also had a habit of bringing flowers home unexpectedly. _

_The young girl giggled happily at this, but Tifa couldn't help but frown. The very first time Aerith met Marlene, she had also saved her from the destruction of Sector 7, and was then captured by the Shinra in exchange for her life. To think that in such dire circumstances, Aerith had managed to keep her cool so easily. The older woman always had a way of bringing the good out of every situation. _

"_Tifa?" Marlene said, snapping her out of her thoughts._

"_She was right." The beautiful brunette met Marlene's gaze and smiled, brushing the little girl's hair behind her ears. "It will certainly brighten the place up, won't it?"_

"_Uh-huh!" Marlene nodded, running off to find a special ribbon to tie around the vase._

Ever since then, Tifa found herself bringing a bouquet home once a week to add a feminine touch to the bar. She also didn't want Marlene running off by herself every day while monsters still roamed in the fields just outside the city limits, so they came up with this arrangement. It just so happened that today she had chosen to bring Madonna lilies home, just one short year after Aerith had been killed.

"Even in a place as polluted as this, a flower was always blooming in the darkness." She said to herself, noticing how dark it was in here without the lights on.

Tifa smiled as she inhaled their scent once more, picturing a beautiful woman with emerald eyes and chestnut brown hair standing by her side. She got up from her chair and moved to open the blinds, bringing some light into the room.

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><p>Chapter II: Barret is coming shortly! :) Let me know what you think.<p> 


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